Samsung sold most smartphones in 2022 even as global market shrinks

Samsung sold most smartphones in 2022 even as global market shrinks. [Photo by Park Hyung-ki]

Samsung Electronics Co. cemented its top position in the global smartphone market with its share inching up 2 percentage points in 2022.

The Korean tech giant grabbed 22 percent of the global smartphone market, based on shipment, in 2022, according to market research data published by Canalys on Thursday. Apple came second with 19 percent, followed by Chinese brands - Xiaomi with 13 percent, Oppo with 9 percent and Vivo with 9 percent.

The worldwide shipment, however, fell below the 1.2 billion-mark for the first in a decade after falling 11 percent year-on-year amid looming uncertainties over the global economy.

That is a sharp turnaround from the fourth quarter of 2021 when global smartphone demand picked up and supply chain issues eased.

Samsung Electronics added 2 percentage points in global smartphone market share in 2022 versus a year ago. Apple also added 2 percentage points. The Chinese trio all fell.

“Vendors will approach 2023 cautiously, prioritizing profitability and protecting market share,” said Canalys Research Analyst Le Xuan Chiew.